Nearly five years since the last original release in the main Dragon Quest series, the next episode is set to release early in July here in North America. Dragon Quest IX has an interesting history. It initially shocked the world when it was announced as a Nintendo DS release, moving away from consoles. Second, it was first shown as an action RPG, which was met with scorn and hatred by fans in Japan. Third, Square Enix decided that Nintendo was a better choice as publisher on this title for North America, as they passed off those duties to the masters of the DS.

As is the way with Dragon Quest titles, the main character in this game is a silent hero who the player creates and shapes from scratch. One major change up this time around is that all party members are also player created. Gender, design, and class are all chosen by the player. This gameplay decision came about because of the game's multiplayer focus, though sadly, the game is only co-op via local Wi-Fi. For those lucky enough to have friends to play with, up to four people can team up to battle monsters and quest around the world.

While Dragon Quest is undeniably more successful in Japan, with Dragon Quest IX selling over four million copies there, it is still a game that RPGamer staff is looking forward to playing. It will be out on July 11, so everyone needs to gather up their friends and get ready to create a character to help save the world.